


The Devil May Care

by Nighttrek



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Fallen Angel, God - Freeform, Loss of Faith, Temptation, the Devil - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-29 02:01:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21402322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nighttrek/pseuds/Nighttrek
Summary: A doubting Catholic girl meets the Devil at the end of Santa Monica Pier
Kudos: 2





	The Devil May Care

The Devil May Care  
She rode the last bus to Santa Monica Pier in silence. The night shone as a thousand stars hung in the sky, twinkling innocently around a breathtaking full moon. As they rose higher the other passengers slowly filled off. Each wearily collecting their things, leaving only time to give their fellow riders an acknowledging nod before setting off into the crisp February night. Catherine watched them go, her eyes far away and unseeing. Eventually, she was alone in the neon-lit shuttle, the darkness pressing heavily on the windows.

“This is the last call before the Pier ma’am.” The Driver called back cautiously “Pacific Park is closed for the night and there’re no buses this late. Are you sure you wanna go there?”

“Yes please,” she called calmly.

“You got friends that live up there or somethin’?” 

“I’m” she hesitated “I’m meeting someone.”

“Ah” the driver smiled knowingly. “Alright then”. So the ride resumed and Catherine was left to wonder. Who was she meeting? Periodically, out of nervous habit, her hand would drift to her throat and absently play with the small silver cross that hung from her neck. Born to Irish immigrants, Catherine had been brought up as a Catholic. Baptised at birth, she had stood in her local Church at age twelve, where she and her classmates had been administered the Sacrament of Confirmation. That was when she’d stopped feeling God’s presence in her prayer. The warm sense of comfort that enveloped her when she bowed her head to pray to her Father and Lord slowly faded away as she grew. The very faith that had once filled her with warmth and happiness quickly turned those feeling to those of neglect and rejection. She remembered wondering to herself. ‘Why has God left me? Am I unworthy of him?’ Desperation led her to the Holy Books, searching for an answer for the pit in her soul. The books told her the same thing the Priests and devotees had told her. 

“God is testing your Faith, keep by his rules and maintain your Faith and you will feel his presence again.” She distinctly remembered one Priest say.  
“Faith is like a glass of water, when you’re young, it’s small and easy to fill, but as you get older and it gets bigger and it takes more and more faith to fill it.” So, she had tried her best, attended mass, received the Holy Communion and prayed desperately each night before she slept. She kept her virtue and did her best to live a sinless life, avoiding temptations like the plague.  
It was only after her eighteenth birthday that she grew bitter. Years spent serving a faceless and cold God. So many opportunities passed over and refused to avoid his fury. The final rift between her and her faith had splintered her family and in a hail of tears and insults she had packed her bags and left the only home she’d ever known after months of disapproval and heated tension. Now she was only a believer in name, still scared to relinquish what had defined her for so long. She lived alone, barely making ends meet in a run-down, single-roomed apartment. 

Her resentment swelled as months crawled by, scratching a living out of tips and any part-time work she could find. Still now, humbled as she was, her all-loving Father refused to answer her prayers in action or sensation. But something; someone else, answered. They came in silent whispers at first, tiny temptations. At first, she had resisted, ignoring the newfound urges. But eventually, she gave in. One morning at work a particularly lewd customer dropped his wallet outside the café as he left, her first instinct, as she bent to pick it up had been to run after the man and give it back. But then her fingers closed around it and she felt how thick with cash it was. 

‘Keep it’. 

With trembling hands, she’d opened the leather billfold to stare at the money. It had been enough to pay off a few months' rent, with maybe even some leftover for herself. Her heart had beat wildly at the thought. 

‘You deserve it, he’ll have plenty more.’ 

She’d made the decision in a second and glanced about her, no one was watching. Trembling violently, she had scooped the money out of the wallet and dropped it, stuffing the bills into the pocket on the front of her hideous work apron and quickly striding back into the café before anyone had had the chance to see what she’d done. Her shift ended an hour later, for the first time in months, she ate her fill that night and went to bed with a smile on her face. 

Weeks had progressed, slowly she had allowed herself to be led down a different path, years of resentment and anger leaving her as she continued onwards. Embracing vices she had never allowed herself, and taking a long-awaited taste of the world beyond what her faith had permitted. It was maybe a month after it had appeared that the voice with her finally whispered 

‘Come find me’.

At first, she had been baffled by the call, how could she find whoever it was? If they were truly divine, wouldn’t they find her? After days, she had decided to let instinct dictate the search. That was how she’d come to find herself here, on the last bus to Santa Monica Pier late at night. She nodded her thanks to the bus driver as she stepped onto the deserted pavement. 

‘That’s it, almost there’. 

Pulling her coat around her tightly she set off up the pier. Pacific Park was long closed, the games and rides still and dark in the night, towering above her like twisted snakes, writhing around each other above the timber pier. The empty park sent shivers up her spine as she passed the idle giants, the wind whistled through steel and the sea crashed as waves broke against the beach. He was waiting at the end of the pier, just as she knew he would be. The moonlight shone glossily off the raven black feathers of his wings as each feather rustled with the wind, filling her eyes with a shining black fire. 

“Hello, Catherine.” He turned to face her. His hair was the same raven black as his feathers, the dark locks curled like the cherubim’s she’d seen decorating churches. They’d had fat, childish faces with blank stone eyes, nothing like his. He had fine, sharp features; high cheekbones and a firm chin covered in a rough stubble. His eyes, his dark eyes seemed to draw her to him as he hungrily drank in the sight of her. He was gorgeous, as an angel should be.

“My God” she whispered.

“God?” His voice was soft, almost amused, it sent a shiver down her spine just as the voice of her tempter had “I’m sorry my dear, but my Father has no involvement in this little meeting of ours”. Her stomach sank, she should have known.

“But, you’re an Angel,” she said desperately, her eyes once again moving to his wings, then he smiled and her gaze was once again drawn to his face, her eyes slipping into a lock with his.

“I am the first Angel, loved once above all other things.” For the first time, his calm demeanour slipped slightly and Catherine could here an edge of bitterness in his voice. “But my Father wasn’t satisfied, he kept on. He made my brothers and sisters in the Heavens, then you.” For a moment a cloud passed over the moon and a shadow was cast over the pier. “Then he cast me out because I would not live as an eternal servant” His eyes flashed and Catherine gasped as she backed away from the Angel who spread his wings “I am the Morning Star and the Prince of Darkness, first in Heaven and ruler of the pits of Hell.”

“Lucifer.” She said in less than a whisper, as if ushered by a spell the cloud was swept away and they were once again bathed in moonlight. The Devil's perfect face had split into a charming grin.

“That’s right” He was wearing a heavy black woolen trench coat over a slim fitting jet black suit and shirt. With ringed fingers he reached into an inner suit pocket and withdrew an engraved silver cigarette case, deftly he withdrew two and offered her one.

“Oh, no thank you,” she said breathlessly raising a hand “I don’t smoke”

“Oh, come on.” His tone had changed again, now it was playful and teasing. “Why not? I haven’t steered you wrong so far.” Once again, he offered her the cigarette and suddenly, she found herself wanting to try one, slowly she reached out to take it; only to have Lucifer pull it away from her at the last second. “But only if you’re sure.” He smiled coyly before offering her the cigarette for the third time. Gingerly, she reached out and took it, their fingers brushed briefly and Catherine felt a rush of butterflies pass through her. What was happening to her? What was she doing? She was stood with the actual Devil, she should be running as fast as her feet could carry her as far away as they could carry her. Every inch of her being screamed at her to turn and run, to go and not look back, but something kept her rooted there, her eyes fixed on the Angel before her. 

Apparently unfazed, Lucifer lit his own cigarette with an ornate silver lighter and after a moment, offered her the flame to light her own.  
He chuckled quietly as she coughed. 

“Easy now” he patted her on the back as she hacked up thick clouds of dark smoke, each touch raising goosebumps on her skin. Eyes watering and cheeks burning red she wheezed, still clutching the smoking cigarette. “Maybe not so much at once next time?” He smiled, his eyes betraying his amusement. It occurred to her that she liked to see him smile and giddily almost smiled back, then scolded herself. This wasn’t some charming stranger! This was the Devil! The root of evil in the world and the one responsible for man's fall from paradise. He seemed to notice the change in her eyes and his smile faded. “What is it, my dear?”

“I’m not ‘your dear’” she snapped suddenly “I” she hesitated, she hadn’t even said them and the words already seemed hollow “I am a child of the Lord and I will not be tempted by you.” Her mind flittered  
through a dozen verses from the bible before she said: “Get behind me Satan.” Her voice was strong, much stronger then she thought it would be, and for a moment she felt a rush through her body as if the strength of God had returned to her. Then it faded, and she was left alone with the Devil once again. 

The silent rides, and games whistled tunelessly as a strong wind flew through them. Catherine shivered, and hugged her coat to her as she bowed her head against the wind, her eyes clenched shut as she fought to hold back the bitter tears that stung her eyes.

She was truly alone.

The wind lashing her body broke instantaneously, replaced by a warm stillness, surprised she opened her eyes to see that Lucifer had wrapped her in one of his inky wings. They stood shoulder to shoulder in silence for a while as Catherine dried her eyes.

“It’s alright.” The Angel's words were softly spoken, his tone gentle and understanding. “I know it’s hard.” He looked at her solemnly “Living each day hoping that He answers your prayers, that He lets you feel his presence, just for a moment so you can be sure it’s all for something.” He paused to take another drag on his cigarette, his eyes lingering on the sea. Catherine remembered hers and hesitantly tried it again, this time she didn’t cough. “Sometimes I wonder who it’s worse for, you mortals, who have no way of knowing if your faith is well placed, or for me and my other fallen brethren, knowing the divine is there, having seen Heaven and been in the light of God but being cut off from it for all eternity.” 

That made Catherine pause, she had never even considered the idea that the Devil would miss Heaven. Her parents and the priests she’d known growing up had always described the Devil as a fearful and proud being. Not the humbled man she saw before her, her gaze drifted from his eyes to the wing that encircled her. Somehow, she knew that its feathers weren’t always black. Once upon a time; Lucifer had been Gods favourite son, the first of all Creation and the shining example to all.

“Why were you thrown out?” The question slipped her lips as it passed through her thoughts.

She instantly regretted it. Lucifer stared at her thoughtfully for a moment.

“I’m sure you’ve been taught one version.” The Devil's eyes fixed on hers. “You were taught that I denied Gods will. That I refused his commandments.” Satan tapped ash from his cigarette with a long finger and sighed. “If you must know the truth. Yes. I did refuse God's will. But not out of blind ego. Not out of unjustifiable pride. But out of self-respect.”  
Catherine starred at the Angel in awe, the realisation that Divine words were being spoken to her was only just beginning to sink in and she found herself listening with rapt attention as she listened to the Devils words.

“When Father presented Us with Humanity” Lucifer paused, his face drawn with lingering pain. “I was in shock, I had come to accept our purpose. A life of servitude. A noble existence, one spent as a keeper of a perfect existence. But then he made You.” The Devil's tone darkened and for a second Catherine could hear the malice in his voice. “The only creatures in all of existence with the potential for evil. The only creatures other than God to possess a Soul. The one thing he had denied me.” Lucifer’s gaze turned from the rocking ocean to Catherine’s wide green eyes. “I did what is only is expected of any Human. I objected to something I disagreed with, and for that; I was cast from paradise.” 

“That’s a lie!” Catherine exclaimed. “You lead an uprising, you took a third of the Heavenly Host and rose against God!” A smirk played its way across her face as a sensation of triumph coursed through her, her hand clutching the cigarette Beelzebub had given her rose to her face and she took a hungry drag, finding that she quite enjoyed the of the harsh smoke that filled her throat.  
Lucifer’s face was sad.

“Yes.” His voice was distant. The Prince of Darkness’s gaze had returned to the dark sea. “There was violence” The Angel's sombre eyes revealed an eon of regret “My Brothers and Sisters, the ones who rose with me.” The Devils' voice broke, and Catherine gasped as she saw a tear run down his pale cheek. “I was the only survivor.” He brushed the tear away, then he saw her face. “What? Does it surprise you that even the Devil may weep? I haven’t fallen so far.”

“I’m sorry.” It was all she could think to say. “You’re, you aren’t the way They said you’d be.” A small smile spread back across Lucifer’s face and Catherine saw a spark of amusement in his eyes.

“Disappointed I don’t have goat legs and a tail?” Satan’s smile spread into a grin. “Maybe I should have brought a pitchfork and worn a bowler hat, though personally, I find the comparison to bankers insulting.” Catherine laughed. She couldn’t help it, Lucifer was charming. 

“No.” She smiled shyly, “I like you this way.” Then she laughed, “I do miss the horns though” 

“Always horns” Lucifer shook his head as he rolled his dark eyes. "You humans and your caricatures, he must be evil, he has horns!" The Devil tossed his cigarette butt into the ocean, a look of annoyance marking his fine features. "Vilified for an eternity. Forced into the shadows to act as God's torturer, blamed for humanity's evils!" 

"But you are a tempter of men." Catherine winced as she took another drag on her cigarette and nearly burned herself. "You've been whispering to us since we began since we ran naked in the Garden. You tempted Eve! You doomed us all!” 

“Did I?” Catherine tried to take a step back and backed into Lucifer's dark wing, the butt of her cigarette slipping from between her fingers. “I never forced Eve to do anything, just as she didn't force Adam to also eat the fruit from the Tree. I merely told her the truth, and gave her a choice.” Catherine bowed her head, her eyes clamped shut, but that meant; “Yes.” She felt an involuntary shudder rush through her at the sound of his voice. “I never forced you to do anything. You chose to do it all yourself.” 

“Why?” She turned to stare up at him, her eyes glistening with tears. “Why did you take my faith from me? Why did you come to me?” 

“I never took anything from you, you void you felt wasn't a result of my presence, but of His absence.” Catherine shook her head desperately, it couldn't be true, her Father couldn't have left her like that. “I did nothing, but provide comfort to another lost soul.” 

“But why mine? Why have you come to me? Of all the faithless?” 

“Because, we are the same, you and I.” Catherine pushed herself free of the wing that encircled her and backed hurriedly away from the fallen Angel, halting suddenly as she felt the railing press against her back.

“We're nothing alike.” Lucifer smiled humourlessly at her, she shuddered as whisps of cold sea spray lashed against her back and the wind tore at her. “I'm not like you.” 

“Aren't you?” The Angel's wings rustled loudly in the wind as he readjusted them, the impossibly black feathers stirring in the intense wind as he held them aloft. “You were forsaken by my Father just as I  
was, we were both cast from our homes and vilified by those who were supposed to care for us and accept us, no matter what we believed.” Catherine shook her head weakly as she felt hot tears begin to slide down her cheeks. 

“What do you want from me?” A coy smile spread across the Devil's sharp features, the girl gulped loudly.

“It's not a question of what I want from you, but what I can do for you.” 

“Do for me? I want nothing from you!” The Angel cocked his head to one side slightly, his coy smile growing into a grin. “I, I...” Cathrine closed her eyes and shook her head again as she felt a lump begin to form in her throat.

“I can take it all away.” The wooden planks of the pier creaked under Lucifer's polished brogue boots as he approached her. “The pain, the hardship, the loss.” 

“Take it away?” Catherine opened her eyes and stared up at the Prince of Darkness as he towered over her. “How? How could you do that?” Satan grinned as he leant in towards her, his right hand reaching around her neck and gently taking the clasp of her necklace between his thumb and index finger.

“Come with me.” Catherine's eyes widened as she felt the silver chain slip free of her neck, she glanced down just in time to see it drop between two of the planks, the tiny cross caught the moonlight and glinted brightly one last time as it plummeted into the ocean below. The girl tried to swallow the lump in her throat as Lucifer took her chin between his thumb and index finger and slowly started to tilt her head back up towards him. “Rule by my side.” 

“In Hell?” Catherine said breathlessly, her wide eyes staring transfixed up at the fallen Angel, Lucifer nodded ever so slightly, his dark eyes never leaving hers.  
“Better to rule in Hell, than to serve in Heaven.” Catherine's heart thumped fiercely as he began to descend on her, his face inching towards hers. Her mind was racing as fast as her heart, she couldn't move, thoughts flittered to life in her mind only to fizzle out before they could be fully formed. What was she going to do? The Devil was still descending on her, his lips now only inches from hers.

“No.” Lucifer quickly straightened up, his cold eyes staring down at her, a knowing smile on his ageless features, she gulped and shook her head. “No.” 

“Who's there?” Catherine quickly clamped her eyes shut as an intense beam of light suddenly shone into her eyes. “I'm sorry Ma'am.” The light shut off and Catherine tentatively opened her eyes; Lucifer was gone. The source of the voice, who was some kind of guard judging by the look of him, lowered his flashlight as he strolled towards her. “I'm afraid you'll have to leave now.” The guard frowned as he glanced around the pier. “Wasn't there someone with you?” 

“No.” Catherine shook her head as she pulled her coat around her tightly. “I'm alone.” She nodded to the guard politely before pulling her hood up and hurrying away. As she walked, a familiar chill ran over her. 

“Think about it. You'll know where I'll be.”


End file.
